1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disposable disease control syringe which is adapted to reduce the frequency of accidental and, in some cases, life threatening needle strikes while reducing instances of possible drug abuse and the spread of contagious disease by preventing reuse of the syringe by drug abusers.
2. Prior Art
Hypodermic syringes are used for a variety of injection procedures including the delivery of medicinal drugs to a recipient. However, once the injection procedure is completed and the syringe cylinder emptied, problems may arise as a consequence of failing to properly and adequately dispose of the syringe. By way of a first example, the syringe may be used to treat a patient having a communicable disease. To prevent reuse, the hypodermic needle is sometimes broken before the syringe is discarded. Health care workers are susceptible to accidental and potentially infectious needle strikes due to the careless handling of the hypodermic needle when breaking the needle or disposing of the syringe after use. The resulting mini-accidents caused by an accidental needle strike typically require a blood test for such diseases as AIDS and hepatitis. The corresponding cost and inefficiency of testing health care workers who have received an inadvertent needle strike result in considerable waste, which may be particularly damaging to a health care facility striving for economy and efficiency. By way of a second example, drug users have been known to rummage through the trash of a health facility in an effort to find emptied syringes which have been discarded after use. Such syringes are often reused in an illicit capacity, whereby to promote drug abuse and the possible spread of contagious disease.
The following U.S. Pat. Nos. provide examples of syringes having a hypodermic needle which may be withdrawn into the syringe cylinder after use:
2,722,215; Nov. 1, 1955 PA1 4,026,287; May 31, 1977 PA1 4,507,117; Mar. 26, 1985 PA1 4,650,468; Mar. 17, 1987
The vast majority of known syringes have no means by which a used hypodermic needle may be rendered permanently irretrievable within and shielded by the syringe cylinder, so that the syringe and needle are not reusable. That is to say, little is available to prevent the needle from being completely removed from the syringe cylinder and/or from being returned to an outwardly projecting position from the cylinder by which to execute another injection procedure. Consequently, the syringe and/or the needle, may be reused. Moreover, a greater opportunity exists to handle a used needle which has been removed from or returned to the cylinder, so as to disadvantageously contribute to an accidental needle strike and the possible spread of disease.